The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated an investigation into alleged illegal recruitments within the secretariat of the lower house of parliament. The bureau has requested details of appointments made from 2018 to March 2024, during the tenures of former NA speakers Asad Qaiser and Raja Pervez Ashraf.
NAB seeks information on whether the finance ministry approved these recruitments and the process involved, including tests, interviews, and publication of job vacancies in newspapers. Separate data on daily wages, contractual, and permanent employees is also requested.
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Reports suggest that during Qaiser’s tenure, over 200 secretariat employees were allegedly hired and promoted, with some belonging to his constituency. Qaiser’s brother-in-law was appointed temporarily to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and later transferred to Islamabad, where he was permanently appointed to the NA. Additionally, nine officers were reportedly promoted against regulations, including Qaiser’s brother-in-law to grade 19, just before a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
After taking office, Speaker Ashraf ordered an inquiry into these alleged irregularities and demanded a report on past recruitments and promotions in the NA Secretariat. Ashraf himself has faced controversy, particularly regarding the awarding of contracts to rental power projects (RPPs) during his tenure as federal minister for water and power. NAB accused him of receiving kickbacks and commissions from RPPs for awarding contracts in 2008 to address the electricity crisis in the country.
